1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to agricultural harvesters, and more specifically to apparatus for removably attaching a header to such harvesters.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the quest for ever increasing operational efficiency, agricultural harvesters incorporate easily removable headers to provide flexibility in the type of crop to be harvested. Along with the flexibility of changing out the header, it has been a goal make the installation and removal as quick as possible but at the same time promoting operator efficiency and comfort.
Existing header assemblies are usually supported by a pair of lower lift arms pivotally secured to the main body of the agricultural harvester and a third arm between and above the lower lift arms. The lift arms are pivotable through appropriate actuators to change the height of the header relative to the ground to facilitate harvesting of varied crops. The connection between the lift arms and the header is accomplished by upwardly facing U-shaped recesses on the ends of the lift arm which mate with corresponding mounting pins on the header. In order for the mounting pins, and thus the header, to be safely secured to the agricultural harvester, a locking bar mounted on the lift arms is slidable between an unlocked position permitting installation and removal of the mounting pins and a locked position where the pins are captured in the U-shaped recesses.
The third arm connecting the header to the agricultural harvester is connected to an actuator frequently referred to as a tilt cylinder having a hydraulic cylinder secured to the agricultural harvester and an extensible rod connectable by a pin to the header. The overall length of the tilt cylinder is varied to change the attitude of the header for the appropriate harvesting conditions. When the header is being coupled to the agricultural harvester, it is currently a multi-step process in which the operator manually positions the tilt cylinder in an elevated position out of the way of the lift arms. The operator then drives the agricultural harvester to a point where the lift arms may be attached to the lower portion of the header. At that point a third step is required for the operator to manually lower the tilt arm so that an appropriate fitting, such as a Heim joint, lines up to connect with the appropriate element on the header by means of a removable pin. Subsequently, the operator must then re-enter the operator cab to proceed with the harvesting function. The requirement for the multi steps of exiting and entering the cab take away from the efficiency of the overall harvesting process which can result in reduced economic gain.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is an apparatus for remotely and positively connecting the tilt cylinder of an agricultural harvester to a header.